This second nerd camp update is about successful youth: Mini Daddy - featured above - and Mark Zuckerberg as you will see shortly. It is NOT about your local squadon's efficient penalty killing or the fact that Shea Weber is now richer than Zuckerberg and Mini Daddy combined. You have been warned before making the jump.

Few things are as impressive of laying eyes on a really successful person who has made their own way in life. They know who they are, you know who they are and there ain't no getting around the fact that while most of us sit around wishing we were doing something awesome and eating delicious donairs they have gone and done it.

Mini Daddy knows he is doing it big. With tracks this catchy he is surely destined to a fistful of Grammy Awards and an Olympic swimming pool full of gold bullion before his days are done. Loosely translated the chorus of his title jam - enjoyed by all of our Mexican colleagues down here at nerd camp - means "I am the cutest kid, I am the sexiest kid and I can make you dance."

You sure can. Bueno para perrear el mini daddy!

VISITING FACEBOOK

Speaking of people who know they are doing it b-i-g, we had the opportunity to go meet with Facebook yesterday down here in the Sunshine State. (note: that may be Florida we can't recall) In any event their newly renovated campus was off the chain. Free food, free Oil changes in the parking lot and a bunch of really really successful cats walking around the offices pretending not to care about what they are worth since the Facebook IPO.

Somehow or other we got to go meet with some of the people responsible for creating the greatest time waster at work since minesweeper. We got to eat their free cupcakes and drink their free beer and pump them for information about how they think the world will look in 5 years if they get their way - which they will.

This is one of the sickest companies ever devised. They know it, their 900 million users know it, we know it and hell even Mini Daddy probably knows it.

GAME TIME

As we walked around the campus we saw none other than the Head Honcho himself Mark Zuckerberg, having a meeting in a conference room. Apparently he is quite visible at the company, eating lunch in one of their many cafeterias on the reg and everyone we asked said he is actually a really cool dude despite what the media and feature films suggest.

Anywhoo, we see Zuckerberg mere feet away as we walked past and had our tiny mind shattered into dust. "No one is going to believe you saw him Wanye. You need to go and get proof" it suggested. So as the rest of the camp made it's way into the next meeting we doubled back and boldly took a picture of The Man as he kicked back and plotted the launch of Skynet or some such thing.

Immediately a security guard came running at us top speed. "Who are you? What are you doing? Do you work here at Facebook?" Now this guy was doing his job - and most attentively we might add - so we had to throw up the 100 foot wall of stupidity like only your ol' pal Wanye can.

"Yeah I work here. So what?"

"Where is your ID card? What is your name? You know you aren't allowed to take pictures here."

"I wasn't taking a picture. What are you talking about?"

And so it went for a few tense seconds. Seeing we weren't about to outwit the guy we made a snap decision and just took off running. In a beeline. Past the main doors which have enough security to qualify as an International Airport. And we didn't look back to give the guy another look at our picture taking face.

Are we banned for life from the Facebook campus? Probably. But It was worth it. That's totally Zuckerberg.

@WVG -
Has nerd camp given you any ideas on how to let us citizens of the Nation forward articles to our friends through email, facebook, twitter etc, with the push of a button. Every time I see an article I want to send to a friend, you don't make it easy on me to spread the word of the Nation.

I bet the guys at Nerd Camp told you how to fix the broken Reply button and how to view a Lifetime Props Counter (hint: Props related Achievements for user profiles make this place the next World of Warcraft)

Wayne, next time use your camera phone to take a picture instead of from the scope on the rifle you borrowed from Smac. You might get a bit more definition in the picture and some leeway from the guards.

Oh yeah, also a really cool thing would be if you ordered up a chocolate handgun to be made up from Bernard Callebout Chocolatier in Edmonton. Then when you see Zuckerberg, make sure you have the gun unwrapped, in your hand, and you should sprint in his direction. I'm sure he will appreciate it!

@WVG -
Has nerd camp given you any ideas on how to let us citizens of the Nation forward articles to our friends through email, facebook, twitter etc, with the push of a button. Every time I see an article I want to send to a friend, you don't make it easy on me to spread the word of the Nation.

Make it happen.

A very fair and valid point.

The state of the business of the Nations is basically this at the moment: OilersNation floats the boat revenue wise for all 6 sites. We are increasing our writer count from 19 ish to 35 ish for the new season and banking that the other sites get large enough to start generating revenue.

Once that happens we will double back and redo our platform for the 4th time with a bunch of new bells and whistles and look to make some more site acquisitions.

For the time being we are placing our bets on paying our bloggers as much as we can in a world where 99.5% of the people writing the best content aren't paid a dime which we think is BS.

You know, assuming that there isn't an NHL strike at the point where we are growing the fastest and are most exposed to having it all tank. *facepalm*

I bet the guys at Nerd Camp told you how to fix the broken Reply button and how to view a Lifetime Props Counter (hint: Props related Achievements for user profiles make this place the next World of Warcraft)

Also wicked ideas. Integrating free mobile and fantasy games is on my list of dream ideas too as is collecting reams and reams of these fancy stats everyone goes on and on about.

The Nations will only continue to grow as time and money allows. We won't ever stop with this thing and I can only hope the pace picks up as we enter our fifth (!!!!) year in November. For now more writers, MORE MORE MORE

@WVG -
Has nerd camp given you any ideas on how to let us citizens of the Nation forward articles to our friends through email, facebook, twitter etc, with the push of a button. Every time I see an article I want to send to a friend, you don't make it easy on me to spread the word of the Nation.

I bet the guys at Nerd Camp told you how to fix the broken Reply button and how to view a Lifetime Props Counter (hint: Props related Achievements for user profiles make this place the next World of Warcraft)

Ah yes, I'll be starting another Propsapoluza if they ever do start an actual lifetime count.

But now that Wanye has been to the real facebook, he will realize that he shouldn't take into consideration our opinions, that would be far too logical. Completely change the format to something we all dislike even more, and that does not address any of the issues that have been brought up from your users. Thats the way facebook does it isn't it?

You'd think with all that cartel drug money down in Me-hico they could afford some production money for this upstanding young chap. I just don't know what else to say.Edit:zooms iphone camera in and out really fast

Also wicked ideas. Integrating free mobile and fantasy games is on my list of dream ideas too as is collecting reams and reams of these fancy stats everyone goes on and on about.

The Nations will only continue to grow as time and money allows. We won't ever stop with this thing and I can only hope the pace picks up as we enter our fifth (!!!!) year in November. For now more writers, MORE MORE MORE

I didnt think more writers were necessary since Nations HQ was so obviously located in a country where it wasnt illegal to hold Willis hostage and force him to write articles at gun point.

"Are we banned for life from the Facebook campus? Probably. But It was worth it. That's totally Zuckerberg's "traditional hand drum" propped up behind him waiting to close the meeting with a good round dance song."

It's this just a Wordpress site? Installing some sharing buttons takes all of 3 sec. I know those precious seconds will take you away from daydreaming about Ebs and babes but those simple buttons would easily increase traffic to the Nation.

It's this just a Wordpress site? Installing some sharing buttons takes all of 3 sec. I know those precious seconds will take you away from daydreaming about Ebs and babes but those simple buttons would easily increase traffic to the Nation.

Nope we elected to build our own platform for reasons none of us can recall anymore.